Earth is going to get very crowded in the next couple of centuries. The economic case for large-scale expansion into space isn't exactly clear at this point, bu

Earth is going to get very crowded in the next couple of centuries. The economic case for large-scale expansion into space isn't exactly clear at this point, but when things get tight I'd rather have state and corporate actors looking outwards for their next growth fix, and for that to be a possibility we need to be investing in space technology now even if there is no tangible short-term ROI. Unless we can change our essential nature, I don't see any sustainable path where human civilization stays confined to Earth forever. Those doomsday weapons "keeping us safe" will inevitably be used, especially when it becomes clear that we're utterly trapped.